In a contest of Big Ten rivals on the upswing, of resurgent programs banned from postseason play, Ohio State proved too steady, too resilient for Penn State. Its quarterback, Braxton Miller, mostly sprayed passes everywhere but at his intended targets and still ran over — and by and around — the Nittany Lions in the Buckeyes’ 35-23 win.

That meant Urban Meyer, the coach who inherited a losing Buckeyes team from last season, improved to 9-0 over all and 5-0 in the Big Ten, good for the best record in the conference and at least a year earlier than expected. He celebrated last week in front of the student section with a series of “Jersey Shore”-style fist pumps. Then he led his team here, into a “whiteout,” into a stadium best described as hostile — and won again.

“Let’s just focus on the positive,” Meyer said afterward. “We’re 9-0.”

The game featured two of the best teams in the Big Ten, the class of a conference mired in a lackluster season. Ohio State entered undefeated, Penn State on a five-game winning streak; its two losses came by 11 combined points.

Yet this clash of conference powers ultimately meant nothing, at least in terms of the games that matter most. With both teams under N.C.A.A. sanctions, neither is eligible to play in the postseason. Thus this matchup shaped into something of a de facto bowl game, an unofficial conference title matchup.

Two years ago, when the Buckeyes tangoed with the Nittany Lions, everything was different. It was Jim Tressel against Joe Paterno, sweater vest versus bomber jacket. That game held actual postseason implications, even if it now feels as if it happened in another lifetime.

Almost a year ago, Paterno secured victory No. 409, which moved him ahead of Eddie Robinson, the Grambling legend, for most victories by a Division I coach. A week later, Paterno’s longtime assistant, Jerry Sandusky, was indicted on charges of child sexual abuse. Sandusky ended up in jail. Paterno died, and the N.C.A.A. vacated 111 of his victories.

In came Bill O’Brien, formerly of the New England Patriots.

Ohio State endured its own scandal, the result of players’ trading memorabilia for cash and tattoos. In came Meyer, once the darling of college football, winner of two national championships at Florida, who cited health problems when he left the Gators.

So there they stood Saturday, on opposite sidelines, two coaches who took over programs in need of renovation, in similar, if far from parallel, situations.

Photo

Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller dove for a touchdown in the third quarter on Saturday.Credit
Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

There was no genius in the first half, though, which instead highlighted the power of the punt. Lots and lots of punts, 10 before halftime. Punts shanked. Punts booted. Punts pinned. Punts blocked.

As both defenses dropped sure interceptions, as both quarterbacks misfired, the most impact came from an unusual source: Alex Butterworth, Penn State’s punter.

Butterworth ducked his first attempt but more than made up for it thereafter, when he pinned Ohio State at its 3, 11 and 6. The Buckeyes spent much of the game backed up near their end zone. Such field position would ultimately yield the rarest commodity here Saturday: actual points.

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The Nittany Lions (5-3, 3-1) had driven deep into Buckeyes’ territory but opted to go for it on fourth down from the 25 rather than attempt a kick with Sam Ficken, he of the four missed field goals in a 1-point loss to Virginia earlier this season. The play failed, but on the ensuing possession, Mike Hull blocked an Ohio State punt and Michael Yancich recovered in the end zone for the game’s first score.

Ohio State responded, behind Miller, the Heisman contender who left last weekend’s overtime victory over Purdue with a head injury that landed him briefly in a hospital. His 33-yard scamper moved the Buckeyes near the goal line, where they fed running back Carlos Hyde until he plunged into the end zone to tie the score at 7-7. Ohio State finished with 234 rushing yards (134 from Miller), Penn State only 31; Miller threw perhaps one spiral but accounted for three touchdowns.

The game turned quickly after halftime. Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin, who ranked second in the Big Ten in touchdown passes before Saturday, tossed an errant throw at linebacker Ryan Shazier, who returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.

Shazier wore No. 48 on Saturday to honor a friend who, he said, died last summer from muscular dystrophy. The friend, he said, had worn that number.

“I felt like that’s him out there, not me,” Shazier said. “It almost felt like a dream.”

Penn State’s nightmare came from Miller, who juked what seemed like half the defense when he dived into the end zone for a 21-10 third-quarter lead. Meyer joked that Ohio State practiced that play. “You know, make seven people miss,” he said.

Miller even managed a touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, a 72-yarder to Jake Stoneburner. Miller later noted the Buckeyes “can still go 12-0, can still win the division.”

“How great would that be?” he asked, after the Buckeyes won their unofficial bowl game, after Miller did what Miller does, after Meyer and his new team remained surprisingly undefeated.

A version of this article appears in print on October 28, 2012, on Page SP10 of the New York edition with the headline: Buckeyes Make the Most Out of Nothing to Gain. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe